How Agents process backup policy rules

The Agent uses the following process to determine which files to back up:

  1. Drives, volumes, and folders skipped by administrative backup policy take precedence over all other types of rules.

  2. The Agent compares files not located in a skipped location to the policy's rules, in the following order:

    • Locked rules. One type of rule that administrators can create when defining a backup policy. Other types of rules cannot override locked rules.
    • User rules. Rules that Agents create automatically when users manually change which files are selected for backup. User-created rules override unlocked rules but not locked rules.
    • Unlocked rules. The other type of rule that administrators can create when defining a backup policy. Both locked and user-created rules override unlocked rules.

    The Agent starts by comparing a file to the set of locked rules. If a match occurs, the Agent either includes or excludes the file, depending on the rule definition. However, if the file does not match any locked rules, the Agent compares it to the set of user-created rules. If a match occurs, the Agent processes the file per the matching rule definition. Otherwise, the Agent tries to match the file to an unlocked rule.

  3. When comparing files to locked and unlocked rules, the Agent applies rules in top-down order.

    The first rule in the locked or unlocked list has highest priority and the last rule has the least. All user-created rules have the same priority; the order represents the order in which the user selected or removed items for backup, with the newest at the top.

    The Agent starts by comparing the file with the highest priority locked rule. If a match occurs, the Agent stops processing rules and determines whether to back up the file based on the rule's definition. Otherwise, if the rule does not match, the Agent continues comparing the file to the remaining locked rules, in decreasing priority order. If a match occurs, rule processing stops. If the Agent cannot match the file to a locked rule, it compares the file to user-created rules, and then to unlocked rules.

  4. If the Agent cannot match the file to any locked, user-created, or unlocked rule, it does not back up the file.

    Although the Agent does not back up files that it fails to match to a rule, the user can override this and manually select the file for backup.

Jim is a graphic designer who wants to protect his images and Microsoft Office documents. However, he does not want to back up some family photos that he has stored in the Desktop\Personal folder of his work-issued computer. In addition, Jim's computer contains a recovery drive created by the corporate image. He does not have access to this drive so he cannot store files on it.

A backup policy that contains the following items achieves Jim's backup goals:

  • Skip the Windows D drive

    Jim cannot store files on the D drive so skipping it increases the efficiency of his Agent's system scans without the chance of failing to back up some of his files.

  • Unlocked admin rule that includes the Image Files and Microsoft Office Files file groups

  • A user-created rule to exclude C:\Users\jim\Desktop\Personal from backup

    The system automatically created this rule when Jim selected his Desktop\Personal folder in Windows Explorer, and then removed it from his backup by clicking the Connected > Remove from backup menu option for it. Excluding a folder in this manner excludes the folder's contents, including subfolders.

When Jim's Agent uses this backup policy, the following ordered events occurs:

  1. The Agent skips Jim's Windows D drive. It does not scan or back up any files on the drive, regardless of whether they match another rule.

  2. The Agent processes rules in the following order:

    • User-created rule. exclude C:\Users\jim\Desktop\Personal from backup

      The Agent processes user-created rules before unlocked admin rules. Although the policy contains an unlocked rule to include image files, Jim has overridden it by explicitly excluding from backup this folder, which includes images.

    • Unlocked admin rule. include image and Microsoft Office files in backups

      If the Agent does not match the file to the user-created rule, it tries to match the file to this rule. The Agent matches all image and Microsoft Office files not on the D drive to this rule and backs them up.

  3. If a file does not match either rule, the Agent does not back up the file.

Mary is a software engineer who wants to protect all files under her profile but does not want to back up her Sandbox folder, which contains thousands of source code files from her build system. In addition, Mary's computer contains a recovery drive created by the corporate image. She does not have access to this drive so she cannot store files on it.

A backup policy that contains the following items achieves Mary's backup goals:

  • Skip the Windows D drive

    Mary cannot store files on the D drive so skipping it increases the efficiency of her Agent's system scans without the chance of potentially failing to back up some of her files.

  • Unlocked admin rule that includes the following user profile file groups, which specify the most common folders that constitute a user's profile:

    • User profile (Desktop)
    • User profile (Favorites)
    • User profile (My Documents)
    • User profile (AppData)
    • User profile (Downloads)
    • User profile (Links)
    • User profile (Pictures)
    • User profile (Contacts)
    • User profile (Cookies)

  • A user-created rule to exclude C:\Users\mary\Sandbox from backup

    The system automatically created this rule when Mary selected her Sandbox folder in Windows Explorer, and then removed it from her backup by clicking the Connected > Remove from backup menu option for it. Excluding a folder in this manner excludes the folder's contents, including subfolders.

When Mary's Agent uses this backup policy, the following ordered events occurs:

  1. The Agent skips Mary's Windows D drive. It does not scan or back up any files on the drive, regardless of whether they match another rule.

  2. The Agent processes rules in the following order:

    • user-created rule. exclude C:\Users\mary\Sandbox from backup

      The Agent processes user-created rules before unlocked admin rules. This user-created rule excludes from backup all files in C:\Users\mary\Sandbox.

    • unlocked admin rule. include common folders in the user's profile in backups

      If the Agent fails to match a file to the user-created rule, it tries to match the file to this one. The Agent matches this rule to any file in one of the selected predefined user profile file groups and backs them up.

  3. If the Agent fails to match a file to either rule, it does not back up the file.